


Revelations

by 93KittKat93



Category: FTWD - Fandom
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:41:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29060706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/93KittKat93/pseuds/93KittKat93
Summary: Reimagining of happenings after Virginia and her Rangers captured the group(My first FTWD fic)Also, will add new characters to tags as they appear! Quite a few others are going to, so stay tuned :pAdding chapters as I finish them!
Relationships: Althea/Alicia Clark
Comments: 11
Kudos: 15





	1. Revelations

Al sat in the open rear of the SWAT van, staring out into the wasteland that the world had become. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, she began to hear the quick-shuffle sound of running footsteps coming toward her. On instinct, she reached for her trusted push daggers; which she kept sheathed beneath either armpit in a homemade combination dual shoulder and chest harness with adjustable sheathes for multiple weapons. Jumping off of the steps and spinning toward the sound, landing in a fighting stance, she mentally prepared herself for the threat her body percieved.

"Fuck, Al. Were you really going to kill me?" Alicia managed to huff between deep breaths, not even slowing as she spoke. Al just shook her head, glaring at the back of Alicia's head as she re-sheathed her blades. 

"You know!" She called out, patting the van as Alicia turned and began running back toward her, "Creating a road where there isn't one would be a lot easier with this baby than with you running back and forth!" 

"Haha. You're so lame, Al." Alicia joked, coming to a somewhat skidding stop directly in front of Al, who immediately looked down at her now extremely dusty boots. 

"I just cleaned these." Al complained with a feigned long-suffering sigh, "You're so mean."

"Aww, you know it's because I love you, Al!" Alicia teased, good-naturedly ruffling Al's hair, and deftly swiping her canteen right off of her hip, taking a huge gulp and losing most of the water down her throat and chest. Al had to look away for a second, if only to remind herself that she was not supposed to stare at uninterested women, even if she found them extremely attractive, even in an apocalypse, rules were rules. Not that she even knew if Alicia would be interested or not.

"That's what you get!" Al cackled, grabbing the canteen back before Alicia could waste more water, and hopping back inside the van, refusing to reply to that particular declaration. Alicia scrambled after her, indignation palpable as she slammed the rear exit doors behind her and flopped onto her makeshift bed(the two bench seat pads and a ton of sleeping bags);which Al had put together and refused to sleep on, insisting she wouldn't be comfortable, opting to sleep in the drivers seat instead. 

"Here. I just needed a little to clean the dust off my boots." Al joked, tossing the canteen back to Alicia and starting the engine,"Think we should head back?"

"I'm not ready to go back. There are still a ton of stores around here that we haven't hit. I'll check in on the walkie." Alicia replied, fumbling at her utility belt to release the clip it was on. 

"Al, Alicia, what's your location? Over." Virginia's voice echoed through the enclosed space before Alicia could say anything. Al's eyebrows raised at the coincidence, but she said nothing as Alicia replied.

"Uh, a few miles south of that decent looking Buc-ee's travel center. We were just taking a quick break to refule, and then making our way over to check it out. Over."

"Hmm. Alright then, y'all keep in contact. Don't need me to send a couple of my Rangers to accompany you, do ya?" Virginia growled, "Over" Al quickly snatched the walkie away, leaving Alicia slightly dumbstruck, as Al LOATHED Virginia and refused to talk to her nine times out of every ten.

"That's a negative, Ginny, and I apologize for the lack of communication, we've been just out of range and honestly never thought about checking in while en-route. Won't make that mistake again, Scouts honor. Over." Al said, throwing Alicia a half grin over her shoulder as she waited for Virginia's reply. Alicia couldn't help but shiver as Al looked away. This had been happening a lot lately and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hide her feelings, which were very new. She had never felt this way before, and definitely not about another woman, until now; and she wasn't sure how to handle those feelings, let alone talk about them. She shivered again, what a terrifying thought.

"Roger that." Virginia grudgingly replied, then the radio went to white noise, signaling the end of the conversation. Al turned and studied Alicia for moment before handing back the walkie, but didn't explain why. Instead, she started the engine, slowly pulling back onto the dirt trail they had made when searching for a good spot to rest. Alicia slowly stood, wobbling with the motion of the van, and made her way up to the passenger's seat and all but collapsed into it. She could see Al smirking out of the corner of her eye, but decided not to comment because she was afraid of how her voice would sound. Likely as wobbly as her legs, because suddenly, Al smiling was her Kryptonite. They continued on in companionable silence until she couldn't take it anymore,

"Is something wrong?" Al asked suddenly in a too - calm and measured tone,  
"You've been acting…..well, sorta stir-crazy. The running, which I'm not saying is bad, cardio is very important, but it's a big change for you. The random disappearing on me, which is definitely a very BAD thing because I'm constantly worried sick about you when you do that…..The general clumsiness you've suddenly developed which even VIRGINIA has noticed…..and all of those things are things that started happening when we started going on runs together. So, please, do us both a favor and don't lie to me when you tell me what it is about being out here with ME that makes you so crazy." Alicia's head whipped around to get a good look at Al's face as she stopped talking, her words coming out a bit choked in the end. Too her utter shock, there were tears trailing down Al's face as she struggled to see the road.

"Al, I…...stop. Stop the van." Alicia half whispered, leaning forward and putting a hand on Al's shoulder. 

"We're here anyway." Al rasped, cutting the engine and wiping her eyes with a gloved hand. Alicia jolted, she hadn't been paying attention to anything but Al the entire time they'd been driving, and now they were sitting in an empty space behind the Buc-ee's where a dumpster should have been. Al slowly turned in her seat so that they were face to face, and before she knew it, Alicia was talking.

"Obviously, I've hurt your feelings Al, and I am so so sorry for that, because I would never…..I could never…...fuck, I can't…...alright, look, this is really difficult because I've never felt this way before and I am fucking TERRIFIED that telling you this is going to mess up so much….."Alicia began, looking away as a light of understanding started to show in Al's eyes, "See,it's not a bad thing, this crazy I've developed, as you put it, but then again it kind of is because. ….it's happening, I think, because I'm hiding how I feel,and my subconscious is reacting…...badly…."

"You almost shot yourself in the foot yesterday...that's beyond just bad." Al interjected.

"YES, but let me just get this out…….I have, feelings for you, Al. I almost shot myself because you touched me. Without warning. I shivered and accidentally squeezed the trigger. How fucking pathetic is that? As a matter of fact, every time you so much as smile in my direction, my knees get weak and I get all shivery and I can't function until you leave." Alicia replied, clapping a hand over her mouth when she realized how much she had divulged. When she could finally bring herself to look at Al, she was surprised by the completely shocked expression she was met with.

"I have to be dreaming." Al finally whispered, "This only happens in my dreams." The look on her face continued to betray her shock.

"If you're dreaming, then so am I." Alicia said, "Wait…..you've been dreaming about me?" She added with a small, satisfied smile.

"We're NOT going to talk about THAT." Al replied softly, still staring at Alicia like she was a ghost.

"Can I…..um….can I try something?" Alicia asked, while she still had the courage.

"What?" Al breathed, clearly a bit flustered.

"Can I…..kiss you? That's all….I…..you know what, nevermind, that was stu…." Alicia began to say, but Al lunged for her and before she could finish her sentence, Al was dragging her from her seat. Alicia giggled as Al pulled her down next to her on the bed and kissed her. The kiss was white hot fire, searing Alicia to her very core. It made her feel alive, invincible, and most of all, safe; a feeling she hadn't felt since before her brother, Nick and her mom, Madison, died.

"Shit." Al said, suddenly pulling away, and that's when Alicia heard it too. A cacophony of undead voices raised in anticipation of a fresh meal, and they were steadily moving toward the van.

"Fuck fuck FUCK!" Al shouted in frustration, extracting herself from Alicia begrudgingly, and hauling ass to the drivers seat, "I can't see, where are they?" She asked, and Alicia jumped back into survival mode, peering out the one window she could see out of.

"They're right where you want them, hit it!" She replied. Al didn't need telling twice, she quickly pulled down a lever and turned it. The side panel of the van popped open with a bang and the machine guns sprayed bullets until the dead were nothing but so many rotting body parts, haphazardly strewn across the parking lot.

" Sonofabitch..." Al sighed, releasing the mechanism and closing up the side panel, "Fucking terrible timing." Shaking her head, she turned to look at Alicia, a mischievous light in her eyes. "Rain check?" She whispered, the tone of her voice deepening into a low, sexy rasp.

"When we aren't in a cramped vehicle…. and we've had a shower." Alicia replied, voice steadier than she was. Al laughed, but the mischievous gleam in her eyes increased to the point that Alicia had an idea what she was going to say as she leaned in close to say it.

"Hmmm….we could shower together." She whispered, winking playfully to show she wasn't completely serious as she grabbed her pistol and stepped down out of the van.

"Hmm, tempting." Alicia replied with a laugh, following Al into the store. It was pretty dark, but strangely not much was disturbed. Al picked up her pace and Alicia followed close behind, "What are you looking for?" She whispered loud enough so that Al could hear, but soft enough so any dead wouldn't. 

"Beer, if I'm being completely honest." Al said with a laugh, shooting Alicia one of those half smiles, knowing what it would do to her and not caring one bit, which made Al smile even more.

"Stop acting so pleased with yourself, or I will never tell you something like that ever again." Alicia hissed, nudging past her to walk ahead to the coolers, completely oblivious to the dead man walking down the opposite aisle; until it was too late. One minute, Al was laughing at Alicia's fake anger, the next, a rotting handed was fisted in Alicia's hair, dragging her into biting range. A loud bang, and suddenly she was free, blood and brain matter splattering all down her back. The momentum of her attempt to pull away and the dead man suddenly letting her go sent her into one of the cooler doors so hard that the glass began to spiderweb. 

"Did he hurt you? Alicia! Are you scratched or bitten?! Are you….." Al was completely freaking out as she grabbed Alicia, so much so that she could no longer form words.

"I'm okay, I promise, I'm okay. Calm down." Alicia whispered into her ear, squeezing her back just as tightly, "I'm okay. Look at me and see that I'm okay." She pulled away just a little as she felt Al relax slightly, "Look. See, I'm fine….you saved me."

"You're gonna be the death of me, Clark." Al finally mumbled, exasperated with herself for letting her anxiety get the best of her. 

"Ughh...don't call me by my last name...gross, we're so far past that it's disgusting." Alicia joked, gently place a finger beneath Al's chin to look her directly in the eye,  
"I love you." Alicia whispered, kissing her and turning away to grab two twelve pack bottles of beer, causing the door to finish shattering and litter them with glass shards, "Lovely." She grumbled as Al chuckled and attempted to brush the glass off of them both. They grabbed what they could find in the way of canned goods and loaded it all into the van, leaving just before sunrise. 

"Oh, by the way, I love you too." Al said softly as they pulled into Lawton.


	2. More Than Friends

After unloading all of the supplies (minus the beer which was hidden before Virginia and her Rangers showed up) Al snatched up her backpack and headed straight to Alicia's room, knowing she had run off right away to take a shower, covered in blood as she was. When she knocked, it only took Alicia a minute to open the door...in nothing but a towel.

"Well thank god it was me, or someone would have been in for a surprise." Al said with a grin, closing the distance between them by stepping right through the door and shutting it behind her, "Hi." She whispered onto Alicia's lips, kissing her softly and slowly pulling away to look at her, now cleaned up, and seeing a lot of tiny scrapes on her face and neck.

"Hi." Alicia managed to say back, kissing her again. Al pulled away again, though, reaching up and gently touching the scrapes.

"From the door?" Al asked, breathing in deeply, "You smell like vanilla and sugar."

"Yes, from the door. And I know….. I found a few bottles of lotion when we were scouting, it's my favorite." Alicia replied with a grin, kissing Al once more before stepping away quickly.

"But….what?" Al grumbled.

"Shower first. Then…...we'll see what happens." Alicia offered.

"Ughh….okay deal, but only because now that you're all clean and yummy smelling I realize how gross I smell, and look. Ew." Al acquiesced, heading for Alicia's bathroom.

"You think I smell yummy?" Alicia asked. Al nodded, door half open as she began to undress, grinning like a cat when Alicia's eyes began to widen.

"Scrumptious." Al said with a wink, kicking the door shut as she finished undressing.

"TEASE!" Alicia shouted through the bathroom door, setting Al to chuckling as she stepped into the shower with a satisfied sigh. Her muscles were screaming at her and the hot water felt amazing. When she got out, she reached into her bag, looking for the cocoa butter she loved and realized…..she had no clean clothes. Stepping out of the bathroom, laughing so hard there were tears in her eyes, she didn't notice where Alicia was until she started laughing herself.

"Why am I laughing? What's so funny?" Alicia questioned, sitting on the end of her bed, still in her towel. Al froze in place and quieted immediately. 

"I...don't have any clean clothes…. I came here without the beer and without clothes. I am a lovesick fool." Al explained, staring at Alicia's left hand, the only thing keeping her towel on.

"I have some things you can borrow tonight. I like this nervous side of yours, it's cute. At least you don't end up in a puddle every time I smile though." Alicia said with a wink, turning to the closet and letting the towel slip a bit. When Al's audible gasp reached her ears, she had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, "I've still got a lot of my brother's old clothes, I…..used to borrow his clothes all the time, even before the world fell apart, because it was a piece of him in case…..in case he overdosed again and never came home. He was always relapsing." Alicia explained, grabbing a black tee, a pair of grey and black shorts and a pair of socks and turning to give them to Al, who was now sitting on the bed.

"Nick...yeah, I've heard about him from a few people. I'm sorry, about how he died. I lost my brother too, Jesse. I used to wear his clothes all the time too, but for an entirely different reason. I was lucky. He was my mentor, really. Thanks for the clothes, it means a lot to me that you would even give them to me to wear with the sentimental value they hold." Al rambled, trying to be respectful of the weight of the conversation and yet not stare at how close Alicia's towel was to falling to the floor. 

She looked up at the ceiling, took a deep breath…and dropped her own towel directly to the floor. This time it was her turn to bite her lip to keep from laughing. For a second, Alicia just stared, brazenly looking Al up and down. Then she tossed her towel aside, walked slowly to Al whom, at this point, was unable to move from disbelief, and wrapped her arms around Al's neck, kissing her and pushing her back onto the bed.

"Oh...my god." Al all but groaned.  
"I have no idea what I'm doing, just an FYI." Alicia giggled.  
"Let me show you." Al replied, that low, raspy quality taking over her voice again as she slowly flipped around and laid Alicia back onto the bed. She started with a trail of kisses, beginning just below Alicia's left ear, making her squirm just a bit, and leading down to her belly button and back up, teasing kisses.

"Shiiiit…." Alicia moaned, those kisses were driving her crazy.

"Hmm?" Al hummed, lips pressed against Alicia's throat, "You haven't seen anything yet" 

"Show me everything, then."Alicia whispered. Al could do nothing but oblige. Multiple times throughout the night.

When the sun rose the next morning, blasting it's rays directly into Alicia's face, she found herself wrapped up in Al's arms. She smiled to herself, feeling the happiest she had in a long time. After soaking in that warm, fuzzy feeling for a few minutes, she began to slowly kiss Al into wakefulness.

"Mmm…..good morning to you too." Al mumbled, sitting up, leaning back against the wall, and pulling Alicia into her lap, kissing her lazily but making her breathless all the same.

"Fuck….how do you do this to me?" Alicia sighed, wrapping her arms around Al, foreheads pressed together, lips inches apart. 

"What, exactly, are you referring to?" Al asked, grinning all the while.

"You make me feel so…….insane." Alicia replied, laughing at Al's furrowed brows, "I mean that in the best way. It's just...so hard to explain everything I'm feeling right now. You're just….oh my GOD I wish we would have met before all of this and had more time to just, BE. Because this…." She pointed to Al, then herself and back, "This is the best thing that I think has EVER happened to me. YOU are the best thing that has ever happened to me. If I keep talking, I'm going to cry, so I'm gonna just stop now."

"It's too late for that." Al whispered, reaching up and gently wiping away a tear just below Alicia's eye, then wiping away a few of her own before continuing to speak, "I love you. So much. I know that before all of this, it would have been taboo to say that as soon as we have been, even having known each other awhile, but it's true. I've been in love before, but this is different. So it's kind of new for me too, but I know, without a shadow of doubt, that whatever life I have left to live, I want to spend it loving you." 

"I don't want to get dressed, I don't even want to leave this room. Ever. I love you too." Alicia whispered, kissing her once more before pulling herself away, reluctantly, to get dressed. 

"Ughhhh." Al complained good-naturedly, reaching for her clothes to get dressed too. Not even a minute after they were dressed, there was a knock on the door.

"Honeymoon's over, ladies. I would advise you to get your things together, Virginia wants you." Strands voice rumbled through the door, "Don't keep her waiting."  
The sound of his footsteps walking away were followed by silence, until Al broke it,

"Jesus…….I'm gonna need that beer now, I think." She joked, standing up with a groan.

"Ughh...I know. Better go though, or who knows what she might do." Alicia replied, as she shoved clean clothes and other necessary items into her bag and shouldered it.

"Pit stop at my room real quick. I might not be drinking now, but I'm sure I will be after this meeting." Al replied, grabbing her own bag and opening the door.

"Understandable."Alicia said with a laugh, following Al to her own room, where she did indeed grab the beer as well as other necessities for the looming trip she knew they were about to be forced to take. Once finished there, they went to meet with Virginia. 

"Come in." She snapped when Al knocked. Alicia raised her eyebrows at Al, who just shook her head.

"She's always pissed." She mumbled, rolling her eyes and opening the door. 

"Hey, Ginny. Strand said you wanted us?" Alicia said, taking the lead.

"I did, I'm glad someone knows not to take forever like he tends to when I call for him. I need the two of you to take the SWAT Van and check out a few places a little further away than usual." Virginia replied, holding out a map with multiple areas circled. Al took it, looking at it for a few seconds before speaking.

"You realize we'll be out of range at all but one of these areas?" She asked.

"Yes, but I trust the two of you wouldn't try anything stupid, now would you? Not after last night, am I right?" Virginia replied venomously, the threat not even needing to be spoken.  
Alicia could feel the ire radiating off of Al as she responded,

"We get it, Ginny. Don't worry, you can trust us with this. We haven't failed you yet, we're not going to start now." Al managed to grind out before turning and walking out.

"Keep her in check, Alicia. Or I can't promise you that I'll be able to keep you both here. You've been warned." Virginia said, nodding for her to leave too. She fisted her shaking hands in her pockets, walking out as calmly as she could. 

"What did she say to you? You look like your about to cry! Or..punch something? Maybe both?" Al said, putting her arm around Alicia's shoulders as they walked to the van.

"I'll tell you once we're away from here." Alicia said. Al raised her eyebrows, but didn't press her further, just took her bag and Alicia's and put them in the back on the makeshift bed and hopped into the drivers seat.

"Let's get the hell out of this shithole!" Al whooped in a successful attempt at making Alicia smile. She gunned the engine as soon as Alicia's door closed and they left Lawton in their dust.


	3. On the Road Again

"So. Gonna tell me now?" Al asked as they cruised down an empty road toward their first destination. With a sigh, Alicia told her what Virginia had said,

"Ugh, that bitch! She's so nosy! Yuck! Was she standing outside your door all night or what?" Al said, indignant, "I mean seriously, what the fuck?"

"I know exactly how she knows. Wanna guess where Strand stays?" Alicia replied, steel in her voice.

"That fucking asshole! Where, the room on the other side of the wall from your BED? Is there NOTHING off limits to that prick?" Al growled, punching the steering wheel.

"Ew….no, thankfully. He only knows we went in there together because he stays just down the hall. Although, I'm sure it grosses him out enough having a good idea of what we were doing in there that he probably ran to Virginia as soon as he saw you knock on my door.

"Victor-Fucking-STRAND!" Al said, shaking her head, "Such a waste of a quick thinking brain."

"He did save my family from certain death…..well,reluctantly, but still." Al glared at her, "Not!" Alicia added, "That it makes it okay for him to do all of the other terrible things he's done. I'm just saying, I'm here because of him….he's petty, and a douchebag, and also a complete pain in my ass, but let's not count him out completely. Like you said, he's a quick thinker, maybe he has a plan or he's working on one. Maybe we can find out when we get back."

"You've made very valid points." Al allowed, "Looks like Strand isn't the only quick thinker." She said with a wink.

"Thanks." Alicia said, flashing her a smile,"So, how did you manage to talk Virginia into giving the SWATTY back? I kept forgetting to ask before, but now that I can actually look at you without feeling like I'm dying….I remembered." She flushed, thinking about what she felt looking at Al right that moment; fighting to force the memories of the night before into a mental box and locking it for the time being.

"Oh god, not you too! Sarah has everybody calling it that." Al chuckled "I reminded her that I'm the only one here who knows shit about it, I can keep it maintained, nobody else's here has any background in that kind of thing, and half of them are afraid of a little grease, yet don't mind a little blood-of-dead-guy ."

"Yes! Talk dirty to me, Miss Mechanic!" Alicia teased, giggling at the incredulous look Al gave her, "What? I thought it was funny! But seriously, I love that there's something you can do that not even Virginia's Rangers can, it makes you an asset. She couldn't get rid of you if she wanted to, the SWATTY is too important to her."

"What's with the emphasis? I'm not gonna be worth shit if she takes you away from me, so she couldn't get rid of either of us if she wanted to. Don't sell you self short, Clark." Al insisted.

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" Alicia joked, poking Al in the ribs.

"Oof….hey, I'm driving here, trying to kill us?" Al replied, otherwise unfazed, "What do you want me to call you? Pain-in-the-ass-who-I-happen-to-love-so-so-much doesn't have that ring to it I'm looking for." She added, grinning.

"You're impossible." Alicia joked, "Call me whatever you want to, but 'Alicia' works just fine, ya know. "

"Haha, no, I get that, but everybody calls you by your name. That's the thing with relationships, you always inevitably start calling eachother shit like 'babe' and 'sweetheart' because it ads another layer of intimacy where there isn't any by using the same name EVERYONE does. Totally unrelated to me calling you by your last name,but yeah, you brought it up, and I feel like a total idiot talking about this right now, so I'm just gonna shut up"

"Aw. How cute, you're already jealous of anybody who talks to me!" Alicia teased.

"Not even close to being true, and you know it!" Al admonished, "BUT, if that were the case...could you blame me? After last night?" She added with a wicked grin.

"I'm not even going to try and answer that question right now." Alicia said, face burning as she felt the wetness beginning to pool between her thighs, which she instantly and without forethought, squeezed together as if hiding the evidence of her thoughts. Al, ever the observant one, noticing Alicia's movements and registering exactly what was happening, began to grin that wicked grin again.

"Problem, love?" She tested.

"Shut UP, Al." Alicia replied, softly.

"I'm not the one who's likely completely soaked! Even though I'm thinking about what I'm going to do to you tonight in an attempt to top last night." Al teased, resting a hand on Alicia's knee.

"You are killing me right now, Al, seriously. Stop it." Alicia said, snatching Al's hand off of her knee, lacing their fingers together, and kissing the back of her hand, just behind her knuckles, "Stop perving and just drive." She giggled.

"How is that perving? I prefer 'plotting' if you're going to put my thoughts into one word." Al was enjoying this too much, "And while I'm on the subject of "topping…." She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as she slammed the breaks, skidding to a stop and flinging gravel every which way. There, standing in the middle of the road, was a horse, on its back sat Morgan Jones wielding a wicked looking axe, and wearing a cowboy hat and the biggest grin.

"Al! Alicia!" He rumbled in that warm southern drawl, "Fancy running into the two of you!"

"We thought you were dead!" Alicia said, slamming into him in a full force hug, recoiling as he groaned.

"Gunshot ain't fully healed, I'm afraid. I'm out here looking for whoever saved me. All i can remember is that it was a woman" Morgan explained, " We should get off the road, got a place a few miles away I've been staying. Is it just the two of you?" He added quickly.

"Yeah, just us. But we can't bring the van wherever you're taking us. It's too easily spotted." Al supplied, as Alicia had gone suspiciously silent.

"You can hide it down the road a piece. There's an abandoned farm with a big barn." Morgan replied, "You okay, Alicia?" He added.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking….this is EXACTLY what Virginia warned me against doing. That's all. It's like she knows something. Like she predicted this." Alicia supplied, too quickly. 

Al wasn't buying it, at least not completely. Alicia's silence started when Morgan said his savior was a woman. Al could think of no real reason why, but she tucked that away to re-examine later. 

"She knows I'm alive, so maybe that's part of it. But I have a plan. You may have to sacrifice the van, but if you come with me now, I promise you Ginny will never find you." Morgan swore.

"We trust you." Both Al and Alicia said in unison, laughing nervously as they got back into the van.

"Lead the way, Cowboy." Al teased, coaxing a grin from both Alicia and Morgan to her delight.

The farm really wasn't all that far, and as soon as they had the SWATTY hidden in the barn, Morgan hopped down from his horse, offering it to them.

"Ain't too far away, but if you want, y'all can ride. I need to stretch my legs anyhow." He said, offering them the reins, which they both politely declined. 

"So, where are we going?" Alicia finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, since we're almost there, I don't suppose it would hurt to tell you. I found a settlement, well, it's a dam and the lake has been drained. But it used to be a town, so there's still parts of buildings and we're working on rebuilding them. The thing about it is, it's not on a map." Morgan explained, "So Ginny…"

"So she'll never find us because she's too afraid to scout on her own, and when she sends people out they follow the map!" Al interjected, catching on immediately. Morgan nodded his head, lifting his hand and pointing,

"There, you see it? Settlement is just on the other side." He said.

"When you said 'we'....."Al asked as they made there way through an opening in the dam.

"AL?!" Dwight's voice rang out in shock from a few feet away.

"Holy shit! What are you doing here?" Al yelled, grabbing him in a bear hug and kissing his cheek.

"Hey Dwight!" Alicia said, grinning and accepting the hug he offered with his free arm.

"Guess my apocalypse sister missed me, huh?" Dwight joked.

"When did you two become so close?" Morgan asked, genuinely curious.

"Before Virginia sent me to Lawton, where she took Alicia and Strand, Dwight and I were doing runs together for a little encampment the Rangers set up. Apparently the Rangers told Virginia and she didn't like us being such good buddies when she couldn't keep an eye on us, so she sent me to Lawton. Best thing she could have ever done." Al explained, putting her arm around Alicia, pulling her close and kissing her on the top of her head. Dwight 's eyebrows raised, and his smile didn't quite reach his eyes,

"Well, congratulations, my friends. You look happy." He said in a falsely cheerful tone, waving them toward a couple of partially rebuilt and weather (or perhaps water) worn stone buildings, inside one of which, a baby could be heard crying.

"Is that….?" Alicia asked, shocked into a standstill.

"A baby? Yes. Thanks to Morgan, little Morgan is doing well." Said a new voice, a woman, stepping out of the aforementioned building, carrying the crying little bundle.

"Ah, well hello there beautiful!" Morgan cooed in a very un-Morgan voice, "Rachel, this is Alicia and Althea, they're from my group too."

"It's nice to meet you both!" Rachel said brightly, "But this little girl is starving apparently, so I thought I would just pop out and welcome you." She added, gently lifting baby Morgan and waving her tiny little hand at them as she casually strolled back into the little house; as if any of it were normal to the two new, dumbstruck additions.

"Just when you think nothing can surprise you anymore…" Al said, earning an appreciative chuckle from Morgan and a slash of a grin from Dwight. 

"Let's get you two set up, this building is the only one that's finished, but we've got tents we set up inside the others, if only to keep the wind off of us and give us a little privacy." Morgan said.

"Y'all can take that one there, it's big enough for two." Dwight pointed, wagging his eyebrows with a real smile on his face, "Tons of privacy too." He added, doubling over in laughter at the look on Alicia's face.

"You get used to it," Al joked, "Especially when he's drinking shitty beer, his jokes are just as bad."

"Speaking of…." Alicia said, reaching into Al's bag and pulling out a bottle, "Party tonight?" She looked to Morgan.

"Is that a real beer? Not that crazy mess Sarah and Wendell were making?" Dwight asked.

"Got the last two twelve packs from a Buc-ee's. Alicia almost got chewed up by a Walker and then we got peppered with glass dust, all of which happened after we got distracted and nearly killed by an entire herd. It had better be fucking real!"Al replied, chuckling.

"Count us both in, then. Haven't had a beer in awhile." Morgan said, "I'll get a fire started since it's fixing to get dark. Y'all go make yourselves at home."

They didn't need telling twice, Al grabbed Alicia's hand, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders as they walked to their new home.

"I'm gonna miss the SWATTY," Alicia said as she unzipped the tent, "But this isn't so bad, look, an actual mattress!"

"The SWATTY had a mattress, sort of," Al supplied, "Dammit, now you got me calling it that!" She threw her hands in the air in an I-give-up gesture, shaking her head, but smiling all the same.

"Like I said, an actual mattress." Alicia reiterated. Al just shook her head again and sat down on the actual mattress to unload her bag. 

"It's gonna be okay, you know." She said over her shoulder to Alicia who was still standing, "What will be will be, nothing is stopping fate, babe. So relax with me, even if it's just for now."

"Hmm, I like the 'babe', for sure. Love was okay too...but babe is better." Alicia teased, sitting next to Al, and resting her head on her shoulder as she lined up beer bottles along the floor, "I just want to be able to kiss you, and more, without having to be afraid that it's the last time, that's all." She said truthfully. Al stiffened a bit, putting her arm around Alicia's waist and pulling her into her lap.

"I promise you, Alicia. I swear on my life," Alicia watched as she pulled one of her push daggers and sliced into her own hand with it,

"Al, what the fuck…?"Alicia started, but Al shook her head and clenched her hand so that the blood pooled.

"I swear it on my life, my blood, that I will never let anything happen to you and I will always be with you." Al whispered, letting two drops hit the tent floor, then wrapping her hand with gauze and an ace wrap.

"That was super dramatic." Alicia whispered, kissing Al and biting her bottom lip, pulling away and causing her to hiss in frustration, "I would have taken you at your word."

"I know. But I made my point, yeah?" Al asked, grinning and nipping Alicia's ear in return.

"Okay, you did. Now let's go get drunk with Dwight and Morgan." Alicia aquiesced.

"Let's go." Al agreed, grabbing a few beers, Alicia doing the same, and they headed out into the steadily falling darkness to have their first normal night with friends.


	4. No One's Gone

She was lost. There was no denying it now. She had nothing but the clothes on her back, the knife on her belt loop, and a scavenged(nearly empty at the moment) canteen, which she was forced to take off of one of the double - tapped dead. She knew she needed to find a map, at the least a landmark she recognized, something. The man she had found shot at that weird sideshow attraction was safe now, but he had nothing she could use and she wasn't just going to stay there and watch him sleep forever. She had extracted the intact bullet, and that was when he had passed out; before she could so much as ask his name. She cleaned him and bandaged him up as well as she could, leaving him in the water tower she had been camping out in. That had to have been weeks ago, or maybe that was the hunger and dehydration seeping into her skull. Either way, she was running out of options. She was also quite certain she was walking in circles, continually noticing weird trees covered in paint. She decided to stop and rest under one, the branches stretched out like they were offering an embrace. It felt great to just have a cool spot for a minute to try and gather her thoughts. She took a couple of sips from the canteen, closing her eyes and letting the water hydrate her parched tongue and throat. She leaned her head back against the tree, finally opening her eyes, and jolted. This tree was different from the others; the trunk was painted blue, in the center, a white bird. It was the words painted above them that made her jump to her feet, made her heart jolt as if it were trying to jump from her chest.

"NO ONE'S GONE UNTIL THEY'RE GONE "

How many times had she said those words aloud, she thought, incredulous. There were only a few people who could have painted this. If there was any chance of finding who did it, she knew she had to go back and find that man. If there was one thing that was true about her, after all she had been through, it was this. Madison Clark did not believe in coincidence. 

It was happening again, she knew how this nightmare always played out. Like a montage of every crippling familial loss she had experience since day zero of the end. It always started with Travis, the bullet going straight through his neck. The widening of his eyes, almost as if in apology, as he unhooked his restraint belt, and jumped from the chopper. She could do nothing to wake herself as she watched her mom lead an entire herd of the dead into the baseball stadium, the fire engulfing everything. Couldn't scream or cry or MOVE as she heard that gunshot again, and watched her brother fall. The agonizing minutes left of his life, she spent holding his hand, as if that would help quell the pain. It didn't, for Nick, who died feeling pain and betrayal, and not for Alicia. 

She jolted awake, a scream on her lips, muffled by her own hands as she broke down, her attempt at holding it all in an utter failure. As a fresh wave of tears flowed, sobs wracking her body, she felt Al quickly roll over and pull her close, kissing the back of her neck and whispering soft, consoling nothingness into her ear until the shaking abated, the tears still flowing. Al rolled onto her back, pulling Alicia with her until she was on top of her, dripping tears onto her chest. Al gently kissed them away, the saltiness clinging to her lips as they captured Alicia's. She didn't stop kissing her, running her hands up and down her back in a calming gesture, she gave up all control to Alicia. When she finally calmed down, Alicia pulled away, lips slightly swollen from the intensity of the impromptu make out session, looking into Al's eyes, she mouthed the words that she couldn't speak,

"Thank you."

"ALWAYS, Alicia." Al replied softly, lips against her forehead as Alicia finally let her body relax into Al's, resting her head in the crook of her shoulder, "I love you, and I will always protect you, even from bad dreams. You haven't had one in awhile. Is it the same one?" She whispered, kissing the top of Alicia's head.

"Yeah." Alicia croaked, throat dry from the tears...and beer. Al reached over with her free arm, grabbing her canteen off of the floor and offering it to Alicia, who accepted it gratefully, sitting up to take a long drink, "I don't know why it suddenly came back." She finally said, voice clearer, "Maybe I'm not allowed to drink." 

"It's not the beer, babe. I think I know what it is." Al said softly, but before she could say anything else, Alicia pressed a finger to her lips.

"Shhh…..do you hear that?" She whispered. Al strained her ears for a second before picking up the sound too, her eyes widened and she nodded in reply. It was the telltale shuffle of the dead.

"Just one…."Al whispered, slowly sliding off of the mattress, palming her daggers and tiptoeing to the zippered door, slowly and silently opening it, Alicia right behind her. Al started to count down as the footsteps drew nearer, clearly aware of them, "Three, two…." She whipped the canvas open and froze in her tracks, and she heard Alicia's strangled gasp as she realized who was standing before them. Like a ghost, a phoenix from the ashes, somehow Madison Clark stood before them, worse for wear, but solid, real, ALIVE. 

"Mom?" Alicia choked out, and Al quickly moved out of the way to allow her to bulldoze her mother almost to the ground as she wrapped her in her arms and the sobs started afresh.

"Oh, my baby girl, I knew it was you. I knew it was you." Madison kept whispering, over and over.

"I knew you were alive!" Alicia sobbed, "But how…?"

"Let's get inside before we wake everyone up, love. Your mom's barely standing." Al suggested, receiving a grateful half smile from Madison, as she opened the flap and let them in first.

"So…" Madison groaned, sitting in the folding chair Al provided, "My daughter and the reporter?"

"Good to see you again, too, Madison." Al chuckled, blushing slightly. 

"How?" Alicia demanded once more, ignoring the banter.

"How did I know you weren't going to give her a minute?"Al said sarcastically. 

"Because you love me,"Alicia stated simply, "I'm sorry mom, I just…."She added, looking up at Madison sheepishly, "I just really missed you and…."

"I know honey, and I'm so sorry." Madison replied, settling herself enough to tell her story, "When I sent you all away, I had a plan. You could call it an exit strategy, because that's exactly what it was. There was an emergency exit out the back of the stadium, I had just found it that morning, but with all that was going on…." She paused to take a deep breath, "I made it out, but all the smoke…..I passed out in the trunk of a car. I don't even know how long I was out, maybe hours, maybe days. When I came to, I could only think about finding you and Nick, so I started walking, and I've been walking ever since. I was staying in an old water tower, when I found an injured man, he had been shot. I don't know what possessed me to help him, but I did. I left him there and kept moving, until I found your tree, Alicia. That was when I knew, I had to go back. From the water tower, I picked up a trail of dragging footsteps heading this way, lost them about halfway, but seeing another dam…….I had to check, and here you are. But...where's Nick?"

Alicia choked. Al grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into her chest as Alicia fought the tears so she could speak.

"Alicia? Where's your brother?" Madison demanded shakily, tears already welling in her eyes. Alicia just shook her head and Madison's tears finally spilled over.

"What happened?" She choked out, but Alicia continued to shake her head, unable to relive it for the second time in one night.

"Revenge." Al interjected, "Charlie shot him, because he killed the guy protecting her. She didn't know any better."

"That little girl?" Madison said, more shocked than angry. Al just nodded solemnly, rubbing slow circles into Alicia's back as she buried her face in Al's neck, tears still flowing, shoulders still shaking, but in silence now. Madison just sat there in silence for a moment, soaking it in, taking deep gulping breaths, and watching her last living child be calmed and consoled by the last person she had ever expected to see again. Let alone caring for her daughter as if the two of them were in love.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions about this situation…"Al said with a slight hitch of fear in her voice that stopped Alicia dead in her tracks. She stopped crying, shit, she almost stopped breathing. Al was never afraid, not of anything.

"Mom...before you say anything….."Alicia began, but Madison cut her off,

"Are you happy? Does she give you the respect you diserve? Is it an equal partnership? Most importantly, do you love her?" She asked softly, grabbing her daughters hand in one of hers, and Al's in the other. She saw the look on Al's face when she first whipped back the tent door, and knew the answer to all off her questions then, but she asked them anyway, if only to hear from her daughter that even after everything, she had found real love.

"Yes, yes, yes, and oh my god YES." Alicia replied, a happy laugh replacing her tears, "You have no idea, mom. Al has saved me….so many times. She's my everything."

"Aww...stop it." Al whispered, kissing the top of her head and looking up at Madison, "I had no idea when I met you, that you would inadvertently lead me to exactly where I needed to be. I didn't know I would love her, hell, when we met, she tried to kill me." She chuckled at the memory, "But I'm in love with her, and I will always protect her with my life." Madison smiled at that,

"Then you have my blessing." She said, "I'm so glad you found eachother." The smiles on Al's and Alicia's faces warmed her heart. 

"Oh, here." Al said, letting go of Madison's hand and reaching for a can of soup and a bottle of water, "I'm sure you're starving and you look dehydrated. Eat that, then rest. I'm awake now and I'm sure Alicia is too, so you can crash here." She grinned, "Welcome home!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taking a break for awhile, working on more chapters and will post soon!


	5. Infiltration

They found Dwight passed out next to the fire, to Al's delight, she couldn't resist bullying him a little. 

"Hey! Wakey wakey sleeping beauty!" Al singsonged, pouring a thin stream of water all over his face. He jerked awake, sputtering and choking.

"Jesus, Al. Fucking waterboard me why don't you." He grumbled, wiping the excess moisture from his face and sitting up, "Could've at least made coffee." 

"Did you say, COFFEE?" Alicia interjected, "I could totally go for that!"

"Yeah, and it's actually pretty good. Before this mess you wouldn't have caught me dead, pun intended, drinking instant coffee." Dwight said, groaning as he leaned forward to get the fire re-started. He tossed a couple of fresh logs on, then poured water from a jug into an actual metal kettle, and stuck the kettle at the edge of the pit, "While that's heating up, what's got the two of you up and looking all bright eyed this morning?" Dwight inquired.

"My mom." Alicia blurted. Dwight just froze, waiting for her to continue. 

"She showed up in the middle of the night, but she was so exhausted I really didn't want to get into too much of the 'how' of it all. I've met her before, so I really didn't think….."Al trailed off as Morgan limped into view, "Crap." She said under her breath. 

"What is it? What happened?" He asked, looking each of them in the eye as he grabbed the forgotten,now steaming, kettle, "Three people don't go quiet that quickly unless something happened."

"Uh…..security breach?" Dwight suggested, shaking his head at his own shitty joke, "Alicia's mom showed up last night, we were just discussing the 'how' of it all, as Al worded it." He added, nudging Al in the side hard enough to make her jump.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't know what to do but let her sleep, she's not a stranger to either Alicia or me so...we didn't think it was a big deal." Al supplied, sheepishly.

"Could be it ain't, but you never know. I'm gonna need to talk to…." Morgan began, looking to Alicia,

"Madison." They all turned to see Madison limping toward them. She held out her hand to a wide-eyed Morgan, "Nice to finally meet you properly……"

"Morgan Jones, I…….thank you. For what you did for me." Morgan finally managed, mastering his shock. Madison just shrugged when she saw the question forming on Al's face,

"Couldn't sleep." She mouthed.

"Small world, eh?" Al whispered, nudging Alicia, whose jaw was at dangerous risk of hitting the dirt. She chuckled as Alicia closed her mouth, perking up at the sight of the only missing inhabitants appearing in the doorway of their little house.

"Morgan, look! Someone else new for you to meet!" Rachel cooed to her daughter, bouncing her in her arms as she made her way over to the group. Madison couldn't have hidden her shock if she wanted to as the adult Morgan spoke,

"Rachel, this is the woman who saved my life." He said simply, still letting it soak into his own mind it seemed.

"Oh! Welcome! And thank you! We wouldn't be here without Morgan." Rachel said, surprise clear in her voice as she handed baby Morgan to Dwight, the biggest smile blooming on his scarred face when she giggled at him.

"Unbelievable. " Madison breathed, accepting a coffee cup (made from half of a soup can) from Alicia while staring at the small bundle in Dwight's arms. He looked up at them all, that smile still on his face,

"This is what we're fighting for." He reminded them, waving one of the little Morgan's tiny fists at them, "A place where it's not shocking to see a baby." 

"Her name is Morgan? Doesn't that get a little confusing?" Madison asked, finally.

"Actually, yeah. I suggested we start calling her Mo, but Morgan….." Rachel began, the ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Sarah would never let me live it down if I allowed that." Morgan explained, wincing as if he knew what was coming,

"Oh YEAH! MOMO!" Al blurted suddenly, and Alicia let out a startled chuckle,

"What?" She laughed again. 

"Ohhh no. Here we go…." Morgan said with a sigh, pouring himself more hot water for another coffee, shaking his head all the while.

"Come on, Morgan! It's perfect! Then nobody will ever call YOU that again." Al teased, "I'm gonna call her that and I bet it'll catch on, you watch!" 

"Watcha think, huh?" Dwight asked the baby, bouncing her on his knee a little, "How's Momo sound?" As if she understood, she started cooing and giggling at his words. Dwight raised his eyebrows at Morgan, trying not to smile and failing miserably. Al choked on her coffee and Alicia, laughing at it all, patted her on the back.

"Well….sorry Morgan…." Rachel said, reigning in a smile of her own, "Momo it is." Morgan just sighed, accepting defeat, and sipped his coffee.

"So what are we gonna do about Ginny, Morgan?" Al asked, suddenly serious, "She's gonna come looking for Alicia and I soon, she expects us to check in this afternoon before we go radio silent, and if we don't….she's a paranoid bitch, she'll come looking."

"Who's Ginny?" Madison asked Alicia in an undertone.

"A crazy person." Alicia explained softly, "She thinks she's the president of the apocalypse or something. Bossy and insane."

"Well, Al. I was thinking about that, and I can only think of one solid plan." Morgan replied, "Y'all need to go back." Dwight and Madison both made sounds of protest, but he held up a hand, silencing them and continued, "She has my…..she has Grace. We need to know where everyone else is, too. It's the only way we can get the information we need." 

"Well, I mean…" Al began,

"We'll go." Alicia said, earning a surprised look from Al, "Like you said, it's our best option for getting the information we need."

"Where's your camera, Al? I meant to ask...only remembered because I was just thinking, this would make a GREAT spy movie." Dwight said, laughing.

"Virginia has it and my tapes somewhere. I haven't had them since the day she split us all up." Al replied solemnly.

"Damn...guess I never realized you didnt have 'em with all the taping she had us doing." Dwight said apologetically. 

"I was wondering the same thing, to be honest." Added Madison, "When last we met, that camera was the difference between life and death."

"Yeah...sorry about that." Al said with a half grin, looking to Alicia, "So….when are we leaving?"

"Probably soon." Alicia replied, groaning at the prospect. 

"Yeah, we'll have to if we want to be there when we're supposed to, we might actually end up cutting it close when you factor in the time it'll take to get to the SWATTY." Al agreed with a sigh, "Fucking Ginny." She mumbled, pushing herself up and heading to the tent to gather her things. 

Al snatched her bag off of the folding chair Madison had been in mere hours before, stuffing her things into it unceremoniously. She had just tossed it back onto the chair, head in her hands, when Alicia appeared in the open doorway.

"Hey." She said, sitting down next to Al and rubbing her back, "I know you're frustrated. I know you didn't want to do this. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it before I made the call." 

"It's Virginia's massive amount of utter bullshit that frustrates me, not you. You made the right call, regardless of what either of us want." Al whispered, pulling Alicia into a hug and kissing her on the cheek, "Now, pack your shit while I go talk to Dwight for a minute?" She kissed her on the cheek again, turning away and grinning at the ground as she walked out, a balled up pair of socks bouncing off of her back in reply.

"Knock knock?" Al called through the closed tent, which unzipped almost instantly.

"Hey Al, I was just coming to give you these." Dwight said, smiling as he handed her a small, ratty satchel, "I finally found them all."

"Pokémon?" Al joked, reaching inside and pulling out a rubber banded bundle of drivers licenses, "Well, no shit." She shook her head, chuckling as she put them back in the satchel, 

"It's like we just finished the LONGEST most fucked up game of Monopoly." Al joked, clapping him on the back and sitting in a chair he pulled out of the tent for her, before becoming serious, "Dwight, if we don't come back…." She began.

"Stop. Just, don't talk like that. Ain't nothing gonna happen to y'all." Dwight cut her off.

"Ya know, your accent shows more when you're worried." Al teased, "Thanks, bro. I needed your wise counsel."

"Anytime." Dwight replied, "Can you do something for me when you get back to Lawton?"

"Yeah, of course." Al replied, curious.

"Will you ask around about Sherry? She's out there somewhere, I know she is. It's only a matter of time before I find her. I just need information." Dwight said, shaking his head, "I should never have let this happen."

"People fuck up, we've talked about this, quit beating yourself up." Al scolded, punching him in the shoulder and standing, "I'll see what I can find out, but no promises. Now, we've really gotta get going or Virginia will get suspicious." She added, heading back to the tent to find Alicia and Madison in a heated conversation. 

"Mom. I have no other choice. This isn't like when Nick took off on us…."Alicia paused, a pained expression on her face that mirrored Madison's own, "Al and I can take care of eachother and I promise, I'm coming back here. Trust me."

"Everything okay?" Al inquired awkwardly.

"Yeah." Madison and Alicia replied in unison, Al chuckled, shaking her head and grabbing her bag.

"Ready?" She asked softly.

"As I'll ever be." Alicia said, shouldering her own bag, "Mom says Morgan is gonna walk with us, she's coming too." She added as they headed toward the fire pit. 

"I appreciate the extra security." Al replied with a shrug and a smile.

"Finishing our not-even-started run and going back to Lawton is going to suuuuuck." Alicia told Madison, "I'm less worried about Walkers than I am dying of boredom out there." Madison chuckled.

"Lawton?" She inquired.

"The town Virginia is so proud of." Al supplied, "Ain't shit, but she's crazy so, there's that."

"You sound like Dwight." Alicia observed, a smile on her face. Al just grinned at her as Morgan came into view.

"Well, y'all ready?" He asked, pushing himself into a standing position with his ax handle. Al nodded, leading the way.

"Looks like a storm is coming." Madison pointed out a darkness building off in the distance, "Hopefully you can outrun it." She said as she helped Al open the barn door.

"If not, we'll find somewhere to stop." Al promised automatically, earning a grateful half-smile from Alicia.

"Wow, so this is the SWATTY." Madison said, doing air quotes, "Nice."

"Yes mom, like I said, it's practically a tank and Al is more than qualified to drive it, for no other reason than the simple fact that it's hers." Alicia replied, sticking her tongue out at her and giving her a long hug.

"Be careful." Madison told them, giving Al a hug too, and quickly walking back outside.

"Not big on goodbyes." Alicia explained, tossing her bag onto the bed and slamming the back doors shut.

"Well, be safe ladies. And I thank you for doing this for me." Morgan said, giving them each a hug and following Madison back out the door.

"It'll be okay, Alicia." Al said, hopping up into the drivers seat. Alicia climbed in and slammed the door before replying,

"I know, I just feel bad."

"I get it." Al said, starting the engine and pulling out of the barn, "You just got eachother back and now you're leaving her with people she doesn't even know."

"Yeah, I know it's right, though." Alicia replied softly, watching Madison and Morgan through the window as long as she could.


	6. The Storm

The storm hit as they were pulling up to the farmhouse they had been meant to inspect first. It started with the dark clouds and a few fat raindrops that quickly became a deluge. Al pulled into the barn, hoping it was empty, and cut the engine. Alicia was in the back asleep and the storm was getting ugly. Al jumped out, flashlight beam scanning the seemingly empty barn. Once she was sure they were alone, she bolted to the rolling door and pushed it closed. Latching it and leaning against it, she noticed a ladder leading to a loft area. Before she could check it out, the walkie on her hip clicked and she froze when she heard the voice coming from it,

"Al? Alicia? You there?" Victor Strand demanded, "Al….is seri...storm…..bad….tornado." The signal began cutting out so badly she started switching frequencies until she could hear his voice clearly,"Come in, Al. Over."

"Yeah, sorry it's hell out here, go ahead with that again? Over." Al replied.

"Shit...glad to hear you two are okay. There's a tornado coming your way, Ginny is…...incapacitated at the moment, but she insisted I warn you." Strand replied quickly.

"Roger that." Al replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance, even as her heart started racing in fear. She ran to the door, pulling it back open to get an idea of where the tornado was. 

"Bad idea! Fuck fuck fuck, terrible stupid fucking idea!" She yelled as the wind blew her back on her ass, rain soaking her to the bone. She fought against it to pull herself up and attempted to close the door again, but no matter how hard she pulled, the wind pushed harder.

"Al...what the hell?" Alicia shouted over the screaming wind, tripping over herself to get out of the SWATTY and run over to help. It took every last bit of strength in their bodies, but they finally managed to get the door closed and latched so it wouldn't blow back open. 

"What...the hell….is going….on?" Alicia panted as Al dragged her back into the SWATTY.

"Fuckin'….Strand warned me…..tornado."Al managed, wide eyed, breathless and shivering. 

"So now he's a weather guy...and gives a shit?" Alicia mused, stopping for a second to listen to the storm raging outside, "It's headed right toward us, isn't it?" Al just nodded, still trying to catch her breath.

"Al? Hey, hey its okay! Breathe!" Alicia scrambled over to her, grabbing her hand and squeezing, "You're having a panic attack." She realized aloud, "Look at me," Al's eyes immediately snapped to hers, "Breath. Come on, you can do it, deep breath in, then slow exhale." She took a deep breath of her own as Al finally calmed and started to breathe normally.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, that….that's never happened to me before." Al stammered, clearly shocked, and shivering.

"You need to change, you're soaked." Alicia said, reaching for Al's bag and pulling clothes out for her, Al choked out a shaky laugh before replying, 

"So are you, there's a couple towels in here somewhere too. "

"Always prepared." Alicia teased, leaning forward and kissing her, "You scared me." 

"Me too. Hopefully we're safe in here…." Al whispered, "I wasn't even that freaked out, I don't know what happened."

"Panic attacks don't always happen because you're afraid of something that's actually happening, babe. Anxiety is a bitch. Besides, the tornado obviously wasn't as close as Strand thought or we would be flying away by now," As she spoke, thunder boomed and they both jumped, "Doesn't sound like it's stopping anytime soon though."

"Nope." Al said, shaking hands inhibiting her from unbuttoning her shirt, she'd succeeded in removing her jacket, boots, and socks but THIS was going to be the problem?  
"Fuck! Seriously, with this?" She growled, "Can you help me?" She added softly.

"Of course." Alicia said, thinking a moment before adding, "But you have to return the favor."

"With these shaky ass hands...you want me to take off YOUR clothes? When I can't even…." Al began, but Alicia stopped her,

"Just shut up and trust me." She said, unbuttoning Al's shirt and helping her take it off, leaving her somewhat-dry tank top. She reached down and unbuckled Al's belt, letting it clatter to the floor, and unbuttoned her pants. Al's eyes jumped to hers again, and she stood up slowly, Alicia standing with her. Al stopped her though, as she reached for her zipper,

"Just a minute." She said, looking down at the hand on Alicia's wrist, which was no longer shaking, "My turn." 

Alicia smiled, holding her hands up in surrender. Taking that as an invitation, Al grabbed the hem of Alicia's T-shirt and slowly pulled it up and over her head, then deftly unbuttoned and unzipped Alicia's soaked pants, a grin on her face the whole time as Alicia peeled them off and sat down on the bed, grabbing her own bag, "How did you know exactly what to do?"

"I've been dealing with anxiety since I was a kid. Then when Nick started doing his shit….it just, I hate that it sounds like I'm blaming him but, it did start getting worse, then. I've learned to manage it." Alicia replied softly, pulling on one of Al's shirts, "What, we're here for awhile." She said, giggling at the look on Al's face, "Gonna just stand there?"

"Just enjoying the view." Al replied slyly, tilting her head to watch as Alicia stood up to put her bag in an overhead compartment, in just the t-shirt and underwear. 

"Always the voyeur." Alicia clucked, noticing and slowly sitting back down on the bed. She grabbed Al by the waist to pull her close enough to finish what she'd started, unzipping her pants and letting her step out of them, "You're extremely cute in just a tank top and boxers, have I told you that yet?"

"Shut up." Al chuckled, peering out the window as a particularly large gust of wind shook the barn, "Jeez….even without the physical tornado, we might be trapped in some rubble if that keeps up."

"Nice subject change." Alicia teased, picking up a notebook she'd been writing in, "Oh, and here's your towel." She added, tossing it at Al, who had just pulled on a pair of shorts. She caught it easily, and started scrubbing at her soaked and still dripping hair.

"Of all the things you make sure you have, though, seriously, TOWELS are your must have?" Alicia poked her in the stomach, grinning.

"Yes, and stop picking on me about it!" Al shook her head, laughing, "Towels are useful for a ton of things. I'm not drying off with a fucking blanket, for one….and also, well, I mean, if you don't need a towel, are you even doing it right?" She added with a wink.

"Wha? OH…..you fucking perv!" Alicia gasped, tossing a pillow at her, which missed, making them both laugh harder. Al flopped down on the bed next to Alicia, pulling her backward and propping herself on an elbow to kiss her.

"You know," Alicia said as she pushed herself into a sitting position; pausing rather than being completely drowned out by a rumble of thunder that felt more like an earthquake, before continuing, "We're gonna be stuck in here for the rest of the day, and possibly night, all alone, nothing to do….well, I think we can both think if a few things we can do….." 

"I was hoping you would say that." Al growled, and Alicia felt a jolt of electricity go through her body in anticipation. Al pushed her back down onto the bed, kissing her until her mind went all foggy. She stopped for just a second to watch Alicia slip out of her underwear; licking her lips before slowly, so.fucking.slowly, kissing her way down Alicia's stomach, lower and lower until,

"Fuuuuckkkkk." Alicia moaned, slapping her hands over her mouth in shock at the total loss of control. Al couldn't help but pull back just a bit; lips still touching that most sensitive of spots, as she let out a sexy laugh; the vibrations from her lips making Alicia squirm. Replacing her lips with the tip of her tounge, she slowly began to trace circles, sucking gently every other rotation. Finally, when she had Alicia practically begging, and completely soaking wet, fingers now replaced lips and tongue as she slid back up to kiss her.

Alicia whimpered, tasting herself on Al's lips, the sound apparently spurring Al on. Her kiss became ravenous as she slipped her fingers inside and started slowly pumping in and out. Alicia's increasing moans muffled by Al's lips, one hand running through her hair, the other gripping the wrist Al was using to hold herself up. She felt like she was going to combust, burn up and fizzle out like a dying star. She couldn't stop the scream that slipped from her as Al pulled away for a breath, still not stopping; that satisfied, cocky grin making another appearance as she leaned back in, as if to kiss Alicia again, but instead brought her lips to her ear,

"Fuck, Alicia." She whispered, "Fuck." And Alicia didn't know why, but that was what finally sent her over the edge. That feeling of burning up intensified and time seemed to completely stop as Al's lips again found hers and she completely shattered. She pulled away from the kiss, only to bite down on Al's shoulder. The groan that escaped Al then was anything but pained, as finally, she slowed her pace; only stopping because her arm had gone numb. Then, looking Alicia directly in the eye, she stuck those fingers in her mouth, grabbed another towel and handed it to her with a cocky grin, eyes darting to the soaked bedsheet. Alicia blushed slightly and kissed her, biting her lip playfully, but she had no choice but to pull away, albeit reluctantly, as the walkie began to click and crackle again.

"Y'all there?" Virginia's voice blared from the speaker. Alicia let out a long suffering sigh and punched a pillow, grabbing the walkie and handing it to Al, pouting.

Al smiled and kissed her again, meaning it to only be a quick peck, but somehow it turned into more until,

"Hello?" Virginia growled, the irritation in her voice apparent.

"Yeah, we're good Ginny, the worst of it must've bypassed us. Whats….uh...what's going on there?" Al replied, shaking her head because, of course Virginia would choose NOW to check in HERSELF.

"A lot. Y'all just skip the trip and come on back once this storm is over. We'll talk then, over and out." Virginia said, ending the conversation as quick as it started.

"Well fuck." Alicia said, "Way to ruin the mood, Ginny." Al grinned, nodding her agreement.

"Yeah well, we'll have plenty of time for more of that later. We should get some sleep, sounds like she wants us moving asap. So probably driving tonight." Al grumbled. Alicia just nodded, shaking her head, before laying it on Al's chest.

"Love you." Al whispered, clicking off the lantern next to the bed and bathing them in darkness, until the next flash of lightning. 

"I love you too." Alicia replied, yawning and cuddling closer to Al, both of them asleep in moments, storm still raging outside.


	7. Trauma

Al jolted awake hours later, grabbing her canteen and drinking half in one go. She couldn't remember the dream she'd been having, but it couldn't have been good. Wiping away water that had dribbled down her chin, she carefully extricated herself from Alicia, taking care not to wake her. She slid into the drivers seat, peering out the window to find complete darkness,but also silence. She grabbed and lit one of her older-than-dirt oil lanterns, slid on her boots and, quietly as possible, stepped out of the SWATTY. No sound met her ears inside the barn or out, so she hurried over to get the door open. A steady stream of rainwater running from a gutter on the roof was the only noise besides the squish of Al's boots, as she stepped outside to have a look. The moon was full and high in the sky, bright enough for Al to see her surroundings perfectly, and it stopped her dead in her tracks.

"Fuck…." She mumbled, shocked. She quickly looked back at the completely unscathed barn, shaking her head in disbelief as she turned back to the house.

It was a disaster zone. Trees were uprooted all around the property. The farmhouse's tin roof was rolled back like the lid of a sardine can, allowing the attic to flood and cave in. She turned back to the barn, a figure in the doorway making her jump.

"FUCK!" Al said again, demonstrating the diversity of the word, "Did I wake you up?" She asked once she'd recovered from the shock.

"Nah, I'm still half asleep as we speak." Alicia replied, a ghost of a smile on her lips as she pulled the blanket tighter around herself and walked over to join Al,"The bed stopped being warm, pretty sure that's what woke me up." She teased.

"I'm sorry, I'm a human furnace when I sleep, I can't help it." Al grumbled, pulling her close and kissing her on the forehead, "At least we'll never freeze."

"I wasn't complaining! There's nothing wrong with being super hot." Alicia whispered, dead serious. Al just shook her head and Alicia started giggling, "It kills you to accept a compliment, why?"

"I dunno." She shrugged, running a hand through her short hair anxiously, "Not used to being complimented, I guess."

"Well, get used to it." Alicia sighed, grabbing Al's hand and tugging her back toward the barn, "We should probably get out of here soon, yeah?"

"Yeah, but….I wanna check something really fast." Al replied, releasing Alicia's hand and heading for the ladder to the loft.

"What do you think is up there?" Alicia asked, handing Al the lantern as she began to climb.

"Probably nothing." Al huffed,setting the lantern down and pulling herself up the rest of the way, bypassing a few broken rungs, "I just had a feeling that I should check it out." She stood up, stooping to keep from hitting her head, and allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She suddenly stumbled backward, just barely catching herself on a beam, staring in horror at the opposite side of the loft.

"What the fuck?" She said, taking a step forward.

"What is it Al?" Alicia asked anxiously, climbing the first two rungs.

"Stay down there, trust me." Al breathed quickly, looking over the edge of the loft, "Trust me." She said again, "You don't want to see this." The light from the lantern was just bright enough that Alicia could see the tears in her eyes. Shocked, she stepped down and backed toward the SWATTY.

"Please be careful." Alicia said.

"You're the clumsy one." Al replied softly, too calmly, "I've never nearly shot myself in the foot." She was definitely freaked out and deflecting, but why? Alicia could just barely see that Al was standing in front of whatever it was, like she couldn't bring herself to get nearer.

"Al, what is it?" She asked.

"Dead…. But……" Al stopped, "What the fuck?" She said again, "I can't tell if it's someone that turned or not." The wood beneath her boots groaned as she leaned toward the body, "There's a bag over her head and she's not moving so…..I….." She suddenly lunged back to the other side of the loft, catching herself against the wall with a hand and vomiting in the corner, "Fuck!" She exclaimed, spitting multiple times before grabbing the lantern she had dropped and practically sliding back down the ladder.

"That bad?" Alicia asked softly.

"People are fucking disgusting." Al replied, hopping into the drivers seat and grabbing her toothbrush and homemade toothpaste out of her bag, "It was a woman….she was….." She began, brushing, rinsing, and spitting again before continuing, "You don't need to know...we just need to get the fuck out of here. Fuck….I did NOT expect all of that, I need to learn to leave shit well enough alone…"

"What the fuck?" Alicia mumbled, echoing Al's earlier sentiments as she climbed up into the passenger's seat, "What do you think she was doing up there?"

"You know what?" Al said quickly, fighting the urge to gag again; the image of the woman, and what had been done to her burned into her brain, "I don't even want to know." She said, starting the engine and backing carefully out of the barn, "We need to get to Lawton asap." She said, "But give me just a sec, I won't be but a minute." Before Alicia could even ask, Al hopped out, engine still running, and ran back into the barn. Seconds became minutes, and Alicia was just beginning to worry, when Al reappeared, hauled the big door closed hastily, and climbed back into the drivers seat; pulling away as if she weren't acting weird as hell.

Alicia looked at Al searchingly for a few minutes as they bumped along the debris strewn driveway before speaking.

"Whatever it is you're not telling me, it's okay, I get it. But if you need to talk about it later…." She broke off, dropping a hand on Al's knee and squeezing it, "You don't have to protect me from EVERYTHING, Al."

"I know." Al replied softly, clearing her throat, but saying no more. Alicia let it drop, hand still resting on Al's knee. She could have sworn, as she glanced in the rearview, that she could see smoke rising near the area they'd just vacated. She said nothing about it though, and they drove in silence the whole way to Lawton, both lost in very different thoughts. They pulled in just as the sun was beginning to rise, nobody was outside, an odd sight and bad omen.

"Oh fuck…" Alicia breathed, hopping out as three people appeared, heading toward the SWATTY, Ginny, Strand, and most surprisingly, June.

"Shit….." Al said, mirroring Alicia's actions, "What the hell happened?"

"The oil fields are gone." Ginny said, a slight hitch of pain in her voice "Ranger Dorie has conveniently disappeared, and I was bit." She inclined her head to her arm, which ended in a bandaged and bloody stump. Her eyes flicked so quickly to June and then away that Al knew she was the only one who noticed,  
"Things are lookin bleak," Ginny continued , "So we've all got work to do, come see me when you've gotten settled in." With that, she turned slowly, dizzily, using Strand's arm as support, and headed back to her 'office', leaving June behind.

"What the hell is really going on? What happened to John?" Alicia asked in an undertone, mindful of any unseen ears nearby.

"Not here." June replied softly, grabbing a small box of the few supplies they'd scavenged before the storm broke loose, "Let's take this stuff to your room and we can talk."  
Taking the hint, Al and Alicia shouldered their bags and led the way.

"Okay so...let me get this straight. You SAVED Virginia?" Al asked, incredulous when June had finished her story.

"I couldn't let her die. Not only for the fact that I swore to do no harm the day I became a nurse,but for Dakota." June replied calmly, "It was the most emotion I have ever seen from Ginny, as she laid there begging me to cut it off, to save her so she wouldn't leave her sister alone, I couldn't go against everything I believe. I had no choice but to save her."

"Yeah….but was it worth losing John?" Alicia asked cautiously. June didn't answer at first, wringing her fingers and looking away in an failed attempt to hide the welling tears,

"Nothing…..NOTHING will ever be worth losing John. But he's not lost, not in the traditional sense. I know exactly where he is, or really, where he's headed. That's why Ginny sent Sarah and Wendell off to set up the hospital without me. She knows I know, and I won't tell her so she's punishing me by dangling the hospital in front of me and not giving me a chance to get him back."

"Where did he go?" Al pressed. June just smiled at her tearfully,

"Home." She said simply, standing up and heading for the door. She stopped short of opening it, turning to face them once more, "Strand has a plan. I don't know what it is, but it involves the two of you getting Grace out of here." Her voice was pitched so low that they both had to strain to hear her next words, "He overheard Ginny talking to someone on the walkie. Apparently there's a group she knows and trades with that she keeps a secret because they're…..they hunt pregnant women and new mothers for their babies. Think they and they alone were left alive to 'save the children' You'd think the crazies like them would have died off, but…..curveballs"

Al stumbled backward as if June's words were a physical blow to her stomach.

"What…..what do they do to the mothers?" She demanded shakily. June looked her in the eye, a knowing gleam in her own,

"I think you can imagine.They don't need the mothers." She replied, stomach turning as she twisted the doorknob and opened the door behind her. Clearing her throat, she said louder, "Hot water is out, by the way, sorry." As she stepped into the hall, shutting the door behind her. 

Al, seeming to lose the ability to stand, quickly collapsed into a nearby rolling chair, gazing at Alicia who was looking pale.

"I think now would be the time to tell you what I saw." She whispered. Alicia just patted the bed next to her and flopped onto her back, staring up at the cracks in the popcorn ceiling. She felt Al flop down next to her moments later, releasing a long sight and grabbing Alicia's hand to hold before speaking,

"When my eyes finally started to adjust, I didn't recognize what the shape was across the loft because I don't think my mind WANTED to recognize that it was a woman. A….A pregnant woman." She sniffed, wiping a tear with her free hand. Alicia squeezed her hand gently, a silent command to go on and a reminder, 'I am with you' it seemed to convey,  
"Sh...she, uhm. She was mostly covered with red tarp, so…..so I didn't think…..I didn't SEE….when I pulled the bag off of her head, the tarp came with it, I don't …..it must have caught on it or something, but when the tarp fell away and I saw her body...her…….her stomach...I………" She had to stop and take deep breaths through the panic, the sick feeling filling her stomach, that guilt of being too late to save that poor woman coming back in waves. Alicia rolled onto her side, wrapping her arms around Al and resting her head in the crook of her neck, whispering to her softly until she was able to master herself enough to finish the story,

"Her stomach was…..she was gutted…..viciously I…...I'm not sure a baby would survive being cut out like that I…...I've never seen anything like it, and that's saying A LOT because as a journalist, I saw some crazy shit."

"You burned the barn down, didn't you?" Al just nodded, solemnly, "I'm so sorry I didn't go with you." Alicia whispered, wiping away Al's tears, kissing her and running a hand through her hair, "I'm so sorry."

"I'm glad you didn't. It wasn't something I would want anyone to witness." Al mumbled.

"That's because you have a savior complex, and also, you love me way too much." Alicia replied, kissing her over and over until Al couldn't help but laugh.

"I could never love you too much." Al said softly, "But...we should probably go deal with Virginia." She added with a groan that Alicia seconded. She stood, pulling Alicia up with her, and they headed to the room used as Virginia's office, wondering why she could possibly want this meeting.


	8. Someone You Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and June's split is weighing on them both, meanwhile, Ginny has a job for Al, Alicia and Strand and June is the odd man out.....or is she?

John Dorie was losing his mind, and he was completely aware of the fact, which made him wonder if he was as crazy as the woman he was running away from, leaving the love of his life in the process. He couldn't help but blame himself for Janis. It was that man he killed before, when he was a police officer, that kept popping into his head. They called him a hero for what he did, but he had killed that man, and in this case, he had killed Janis twice, the way he saw it. He told Strand his plan, knowing the bastard was only out for himself, and in doing so, Janis was executed early so he couldn't bust her out. The worst part of it all, he wasn't told, he had to find out himself. He knew as soon as he found her cell empty, but he wasn't quick enough to save her. He did the only thing left that he could do when he found her wandering around: he put her down. Now it was eating him up inside, to the point where going back to his cabin was no longer an option. No, John didn't feel he deserved comfort anymore. He pulled his truck into an abandoned old restaurant, the sign unreadable, and hopped out of the cab. He flipped his twin pistols, one on each hip, from their holsters; both guns and holsters courtesy of the secret armory Virginia kept hidden from all but her Rangers. He got a sick thrill for a second from the notion that he'd gotten away with stealing from her AND that she had gotten bitten, then instantly felt guilty because that was not the kind of man he was. He took off his hat, tossing it into the cab, slamming the door and heading for the restaurants back door. He tapped on the door with the barrel of one of his pistols, waiting for only seconds before hearing multiple bodies slam against it.

"Woah there, bud!" He yelped as the door suddenly burst open and a dead man came toppling out, followed by a woman and child. He put all three out of their misery and began to back away slowly as he saw the size of the crowd inside the restaurant….and they saw him. Thankful for the stupidity of the Passed and the small size of the door creating a chokepoint, John was able to take a breath and set up his first shot. He went down to a knee, lifting both pistols in unison, lining up his sights with his targets, some distance away, and pulling each trigger only twice. Four bullets flew, hitting four quickly discerned weak points on the gigantic restaurant sign. There was a wrenching noise as the metal sign disconnected from the pole, followed by an Earth shaking crash and disturbing splattering noise as the first half of the crowd was completely squashed by tons of metal. This left about thirty of the Passed for him to deal with.

"Ohhh boy, nope this ain't gonna cut it." He told himself as he quick-shuffle backward, the crowd of Passed seemingly larger than before now that they were all out in the open. There was one problem, while half-running backward, keeping his eyes on the Passed from the restaurant, he had forgotten to check behind him, and behind him was where he should have been looking. Suddenly, he found himself wrapped in a bear hug, and he didn't have to turn around, didn't have to hear the telltale snarling or shuffling of feet to know he was surrounded by the Passed, and about to become their next meal. He wrenched himself from the dead person's grasp before it could make him chow, and blew off the top of its skull with a well placed shot before making a beeline for his truck. Jumping into the cab, slamming the door and locking it and the passenger's side, he reached to start the engine; only to find the keys missing.

"NonononononoNO!" He yelled, sending a fist into the steering wheel over and over, and of course, hitting the horn by accident in the process, drawing the Passed directly to the truck. John knew his only chance was to ditch it and haul ass away from there, but by the time it registered in his mind, he was completely surrounded. As the truck began to shake, the passenger side window splintering under the weight of one of the Passed, he closed his eyes and pictured June, it was the best he could do, the only way to have her here with him when he died. He just wished it weren't so soon.

Suddenly, A loud boom rang out over the snarling, and John's eyes popped open in surprise. He could see nothing past the smears left by the Passed who were now being steadily drawn away by more loud noises. He slowly cracked open his door, trying not to make any noise, and finding that the coast was clear. Hopping out, he turned quickly to peer over the hood, shocked at what was taking place across the parking lot.

June was so tired of Virginia's shit, and it was showing. Instead of sending her off with Sarah and Wendell to help with the hospital set up: she was forced to stay in Lawton and wait on Virginia hand and foot. Needless to say, June was beginning to feel murderous, a feeling she'd thought she'd left behind when she met John. John was gone though, and June was conflicted about it all. Should she have seen the signs? Could she have done or said something to change his mind? She wondered as she was emptying her pail of bloody water and gauze.She shook her head, clearing away the dark thoughts, rinsing and refilling the pail, before heading back to finish cleaning Virginia's wound. 

"Should have just let her turn." 

June jumped,spilling water down the front of herself, and turning to glare at Victor Strand.

"I have nothing to say to you." She replied, speeding up, but he matched her pace and kept TALKING; insufferable. 

"I know you're upset with me about John….but I had no choice…" 

"You had no CHOICE?! Are…..are you SERIOUS? You had a woman KILLED! You asshole! I'm not 'upset', I'm FURIOUS!" She lost her temper, flinging the entire contents of the water pail into his face, "Stay the hell away from me!" She added before turning around to refill her pail, "Or the next time I'll throw something heavier!"

Strand just stared at her in shock, face dripping, before finally taking the hint. He shook his head in disgust, and wiped his face angrily as he stalked away.

"AGHHHHHH!" June let out a scream of frustration, slamming the pail down before twisting the spigot knob. 

"What took you so long?" Virginia said in greeting as June placed the pail on the table. She ignored her, and wouldn't have had time to reply anyway, as a knock sounded on the door. 

"Yeah." Ginny said, groaning as June sponged yet more blood away from the staples holding the skin together where her hand used to be. Alicia and Al both cringed as they sat down.

"Fuck, that's gonna be a wicked scar, Ginny." Al mused, recoiling slightly as Virginia smiled,

"Well, I can see you're in no mood for small-talk." Virginia said, pausing as June finished with the fresh bandages, waiting for her to leave before continuing, "I want you to do something for me."

June had no intention of missing this conversation, therefore, like a child sith her ear to the door, eyes darting to make sure she wasn't caught, she listened in.

"What do you need, Ginny." Alicia cut in, clearly to save Al from going off.

"I'm concerned that trick shootin cowboy in gonna cause me more trouble than I'm up to dealing with. I need the two of you to take Strand and go find him. I don't want him finding another group to fall in in with." Virginia replied.

"Like who, Ginny. I thought you ruled the roost in this area?" Al taunted.

"That ain't none of you're damn business. We'll call it classified information of a sensitive nature. " Virginia replied venomously, "And before you ask, June stays here with me." June pulled away from the door, shaking in anger. Having heard enough, she turned away and headed to her room to think and pack her things. Like HELL was she staying there!

"You gotta be kiddin' me!" John chuckled as he watched the last of the Passed run themselves off of the lip of a giant hole in the concrete lot. He had noticed the loud booms were coming from firecrackers being tossed from somewhere, he couldn't tell. When the Passed had started disappearing, though, he'd had to get a closer look, safety be damned.

"Nope. It fills up fast, but it makes it easy as shootin' fish in a barrel." A voice said behind him, he whipped around as they continued, "It's good to see ya again, John."

John's eyes widened in shock at the sight of Morgan Jones standing stall in front of him, giant axe in hand.

"I like the hat." John replied with a grin, "Thank you. I thought….well I thought I was done for." He added, wringing Morgan's hand as running footsteps neared.

"We gotta go, like, NOW." Dwight told Morgan quickly, nodding at John in acknowledgement before taking off toward a little white panel-van.

"Alright, we'll explain everything on the way to our meeting point with Maddie." Morgan said, clapping a hand on John's shoulder as he too headed for the van, John followed quickly.

"Who's Maddie?" He asked as he climbed into the back of the van.

"Alicia's mom." Dwight supplied as Morgan slammed the doors without answering. John jolted at his words, so many questions filling his head, and braced himself as the van lurched forward.

"What the hell is going on?" Was all he could manage as the sped away from the restaurant. 

"Nothing good." Morgan replied solemnly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter, not sure when i'll have chapter 9 but its coming, I promise! Thank you for bearing with me!
> 
> Chapter title: Somebody You Loved by Lewis Capaldi


	9. The Plan

"Well…..she obviously doesn't know that we know. About Morgan being alive, yeah, but also about her little kidnapping buddies." Alicia mused as she and Al made their way back to the SWATTY to refuel for their newest mission.

"Kidnapping isn't even the word……"Al replied, trailing off as the SWATTY came into view, Victor Strand sitting on the foldout back stairs. The look on Al's face promised violence, and both Alicia and Strand moved in unison to diffuse that particular explosion quickly. Alicia stepped between Al and Strand so fast that Al didn't even see her move. She flung an arm out as Al tried to side-step her, and Strand, now standing near the passenger's side door, raised his hands in supplication,

"Hear me out!" He begged, "I swear there's a reason for all of this, but I can't tell you here. I told Ginny I was going to have the two of you take me to see Daniel….seems Dakota has run off again and that's likely where she is, with Charlie."

"Using kids to save your ass is pretty low, Victor, even for you." Al spat angrily, "But, as you're well aware, I'd die for those kids, so I guess we have no choice, do we Alicia?"

"No, not really." Alicia replied softly, a small, knowing smile on her lips, but she said no more. She loved everything about Al, even her flaws, but her selflessness, how protective she was, how she'd go to the ends of the earth to save the innocent, that was what had Alicia falling in love with her more and more every day.

"Thank you." Strand replied, blowing out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding, "I'll return momentarily." He added before walking away rather quickly.

"I think he may have pissed himself, Al." Alicia said once he was out of earshot, doubling over in laughter at the thought, "You LITERALLY scared the piss out of the dude. Ha, oh my god."

"He didn't piss himself, I'm not even scary." Al said, chuckling and shaking her head as she opened the drivers side door to check the fuel gauge. 

"You ARE though! When you get super mad like that, I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that glare!" Alicia replied matter-of-factly, "I'M not afraid of you at all," She added, noting Al's raised eyebrows, "But he definitely should be. I thought you were gonna murder him just now."

"Hm….Whatever you say, Clark." Al teased, leaning casually against the now closed door. Without a word or any warning whatsoever, Alicia grabbed her by her shoulders and slammed her back against the SWATTY, a slight smile gracing her lips. Al just stared at those lips in complete shock of being utterly MANHANDLED, waiting for Alicia to speak.

"I told you not to call me that." Alicia said, eyes lighting up and that soft smile becoming a full-on smirk as she leaned in and whispered softly, "So now, we're going to play a game. It's called, 'What happens to Al when Alicia won't kiss her?' And it starts now."

Al's only reply was a soft growl as she pivoted and turned the tables, pinning Alicia against the door with both her hands, and the look in her eyes. That look would have made Alicia a soaking wet mess only days ago, but somehow she managed to hold out, until Al finally spoke,

"We're doing no such thing." She said hoarsely, leaning in and kissing Alicia. She moaned softly at the first brush of Al's tongue against her lips; and Al couldnt help but pull back for a second to let Alicia see her grin, knowing she'd won this little battle, as if she even cared. Alicia's hands came up to interlock on the back of Al's neck as she pressed her body closer to Alicia's, an almost magnetic energy buzzing between them like magic, and deepened the kiss. Her hands slid down to rest on Alicia's hips, beneath the waistband of her jeans. The zapping feeling of skin-on-skin contact brought Alicia back to reality, and she gently pushed Al away with a firm hand to her chest, apology and lust simmering in her eyes.

"If we keep going, Strand is gonna come back to something he really doesn't want to see," Alicia whispered, " I almost didn't even care….you do things to me that make me forget my name." 

"And yet you get so TOUCHY when I remind you of your last name. Was this a setup?" Al replied, voice dropping into that low, dripping-with-sex tone reserved only for Alicia, "Because you don't have to be so elaborate just to get me into bed, babe." She winked, kissing her hard, making her breathless. Alicia bit her lip in retaliation, eliciting a hiss and a soft chuckle from Al, "Ohhh, you're gonna GET IT next time we're alone." Al promised, mischief in her eyes, "Just you wait."

"Mmmm." Alicia moaned, "I dare you." She replied, stepping away from Al entirely at the crunch of gravel that signaled Strand's return.

"Uhhh….am I, interrupting something?" He asked awkwardly. Al and Alicia just looked at him, then eachother, before bursting out laughing. 

"Nope, nothing at all, Victor. We were just waiting on you." Alicia giggled, "You can have shotgun." She added, hopping into the back and earning an incredulous look from Al, who was grabbing a can of precious gas. She just shook her head before slamming the back door behind her. 

Strand was already in the passenger's seat when Al finished topping off the fuel, and Alicia had piled the massive amount of blankets in a corner to make room in the back for actual sitting. As they drove through the gates, Al wasted no time in beginning her interrogation.

"So, Mr. I'm-on-the-fence, what's the plan and why didn't John hit you harder?" She questioned irritably. 

"Well…..The pistol hit me before he did….." Strand replied drily, "NOT that I deserved it, but he wouldn't LISTEN, so here I sit, bruises and a scarred temple to prove it." Al just raised her eyebrows, shaking her head in a 'get to the point' gesture causing Alicia to choke back a laugh.

"The….. incident…. with Janis was out of everyone's hands. She wasn't going to leave with John, she had all intentions of dying. I saved his ass. If I hadn't said she was a flight risk, Ginny would have held off and ended up catching him in his attempt to get Janis to leave. It would have been a complete shit-show. As for everything else…..I've had a plan since day one to get everyone out of Ginny's control, but until everything happened at the oil fields, none of my ideas worked out. I know Morgan is alive, I know he's out there somewhere and he has someplace to hide that Ginny must not know about. I need his help, overthrowing Ginny, and I know how to get him to agree."

"And THERE it is, the shady Strand we all love to hate!"Al spat, but she allowed him to continue.

"ANYWAY...I know where Grace is, they've been moving her all over because Ginny knows Morgan is alive and she's scared. I can smuggle her out, but the two of you will have to take her to Morgan. Which means, you won't be able to come back. I have all the information I've gleaned over the past month written in this book." He continued, handing a small notebook to Alicia, "It has information on a location where he and I can meet to discuss a new plan and the general whereabouts of the crazy people who want babies. Then there's the fact that Ginny has actually thought about giving Grace to them in return for supplies and information, multiple times. It's only a matter of time before…."

"Shut up. We'll do it, but I don't want to hear anymore, it makes me want to kill you." Al interjected, ending the conversation abruptly.

"Alright, so….when we leave wherever it is we're going, we'll need a different vehicle….as much as I hate having to ditch the SWATTY." Alicia said sadly.

"Aww, you've finally come to love this old death machine?" Al joked. 

"Well, I mean, I DID try to kill you for it." Alicia's grin was all teeth as she added, "Never thought I'd be so glad I DIDN'T."

"You and me both!" Al replied, throwing her a rogueish wink that made her shiver all over and her toes curl in her boots. Al laughed into the moment of silence, well aware of the thoughts running through Alicia's head. Strand saved either of them from speaking, however. 

"Here! Take that trail to the right!" He said abruptly. Al spun the steering wheel a little too hard, causing Strand to slam into his door.

"Fuck! Couldn't have said something sooner?" Alicia yelled, extricating herself from the pile of blankets that had fallen to the floor with her.

"Apologies. I've only been here once." Strand grumbled, massaging his shoulder.

"Oh piss off with the crybaby act, Alicia just got thrown on the floor, don't see her rubbing herself…." Al hissed, stopping short, "Oh my god, that came out wrong." She said, shaking her head and trying not to laugh. Alicia, unable to contain herself, slumped over in a fit of giggles, breaking Al's composure entirely. Even Strand couldn't help but chuckle a bit, shaking his head. 

"You two are how old again?" He joked.

"Accidental sexual innuendo is never NOT funny, I don't care how old you are." Al replied, still chuckling a bit, "And I just KNOW Alicia won't let me live that one down." She added, bringing the SWATTY to a stop in a front of a group of tents and jumping out, leaving the door open.

"Nope!" Alicia agreed, climbing over the driver's seat after Al. Strand just rolled his eyes, hopping out and slamming his door.

"Follow me…" Strand began, trailing off at the sound of a meow.

"Skidmark, come back here!" Daniel shouted, stepping into view and stopping short, "Oh." He said simply, turning around and waving his hand for them to follow.

"Doesn't look happy to see us." Strand warned, leading the way.

"It's YOU, Strand. NOBODY is ever happy to see YOU." Al said, carrying Skidmark and scratching him behind the ears. He threw her a glare, mumbling something about being ungrateful, which she ignored. Skidmark purred.

When they stepped into one of the few buildings in the area, a small house, a small voice rang out,

"Aww man, she sent you to get me, didn't she?" Dakota groused, "Why can't I stay with Charlie and Daniel?" Skidmark chose that moment to jump out of Al's arms and meow again, "You too, Skidmark." Dakota giggled.

"Because your sister see's it as her job to keep you safe." Strand replied with a sigh, this argument had happened before. Many times, by the look on his face, "We've been through this."

"How can she protect me with one hand?" Dakota shot back, "She can't protect anybody, she never could, else I wouldn't be stuck with HER!" Her words rang out and echoed in the silence as everyone absorbed their meaning. Dakota gasped, knowing she'd said too much, but she quickly recovered. 

"Look, I'll radio and ask her, kid, but I don't think she's gonna agree." Strand replied, turning on his heel and grabbing for his walkie as he walked away.

"Douche." Al mumbled, choking on her words when Dakota giggled, and Charlie stepped out of the bathroom and said, just as quietly, 

"Dick."

"Charlie!" Al admonished, trying not to laugh.

"What! You were thinking it. We were ALL thinking it." She replied, looking up and seeing the look on Al's face, "Okay, sorry. Dakota, we can't say 'Dick' even though everyone else does." 

"CHARLIE!" Al said, but Alicia burst out laughing, ruining it. Daniel even had a grin on his face, 

"She's a handful, eh Al." He joked, earning a glare from both Charlie and Dakota.

"Kids." Al replied, shaking her head, just as Strand returned.

"Ginny wants to speak with you, Daniel." He said, tossing him the walkie and grabbing a chair, watching as both Dakota and Charlie tiptoed out behind him to eavesdrop, "So now that we have a minute, I got the keys to the old station wagon in the garage, here." He tossed the keys to Al, "I'll get Grace and we'll meet you there tonight, You'll leave under cover of darkness."

"I swear, Strand, if you fuck us over……." Al threatened.

"Trust me, Al. The last thing I want to do is mess this up." Victor said louder than expected.

"Spare me. It's a little hard to just 'trust you' when I haven't once been given reason to do so." Al fired back.

"Enough. You can be heard outside." Daniel said from the doorway, "I've been given orders to keep an eye on Dakota and Charlie since they're inseparable. You would have heard Dakota arguing her case with that woman if you hadn't been arguing yourselves. Do whatever it is you are here to do, but keep myself and those girls out of it." With that, he tossed the walkie back to Victor and left without another word. Alicia just laughed, 

"Well YOU got told." She said, shaking her head at them both.

"I'll see the two of you tonight." Strand grumbled like a sullen teenager, as he strode from the room; hot on Daniel's heels.

"So….think he's telling the truth?" Al asked, throwing her arm across Alicia's shoulder and steering her toward the SWATTY.

"I think he really does plan to help us get Grace out of here….but I'm not sure about the rest. Guess we should check out his notebook." Alicia replied, pulling it out of her back pocket, handing it to Al and climbing into the back of the SWATTY.

"Hmmm…" Al hummed, flipping through the pages, "Well, there's the map he drew, and……….oh….wow." She sat down so fast it was a good thing she'd made it inside the SWATTY or she'd have been on the ground, "He really wasn't joking about Ginny considering selling Grace to those…..sick fucks, look," Alicia sat next to her, head on her shoulder as Al turned the notebook to show her a passage, "See, right here, 'Ginny consulted me again about the baby people, whether giving Grace to them in return for supplies, information, and protection would be a good call. I told her no, it would cause more trouble than it was worth, but why does she feel she needs more protection? What is she up to?' He really wrote down EVERYTHING." 

"Shit…..I think Virginia really has lost her mind! This, and now she's letting Dakota out of her sight? I have a bad feeling she's up to something, and she's getting Dakota out of the line of fire." Alicia said.

"Well, all we can do is take this info to Morgan and hope he knows what to do with it." Al sighed, rubbing her temples, "All of this insanity is giving me a serious migraine. I would kill for a vacation."

"Where to?" Alicia asked.

"Anywhere but here. Where there are no dead walking around, where you and I can do what we want, whenever we want, no interruptions. No worrying about the safety of our family because we would all be safe, all of us. No Virginia, no more of ANY assholes running our lives for us." Al whispered, as if speaking her wishes too loudly would render them even more impossible. 

"That's the first time I think I have ever heard you refer to us as a family, Al" Alicia poked her in the side, smiling.

"Well we are all one big family now, disfunction to the max and all." Al replied, chuckling, "So I guess, for all intents and purposes, that makes you my wife." She added teasingly. 

"Hmm, that'd be inevitable anyway." Alicia said matter-of-factly, piling comforters one on top of the other on the floor until it felt like an actual bed and not the crappy pallet on the floor that it was.

"How presumptuous of you to assume." Al prodded, enjoying this teasing game, but becoming serious in an instant, "But seriously. Is that…..something you would want? I mean…..you know what, never mind."

"Woah woah woah, wait a second. Was that a proposal, Althea?" Alicia demanded, eyes sparkling. 

"Uh….well. Kind of…..a super shitty one." Al replied,throat going completely dry as she looked up at Alicia, now standing between her legs, hands on her shoulders, and rasped, "So?" 

"So?" Alicia repeated, head tilted slightly as if studying Al for her next move. Al slowly reached for her bag, digging into its contents without breaking eye contact, and pulled out a small velvet drawstring satchel. She reached inside and began pulling out a necklace chain, a ring sliding around at its end.

"I've only ever worn this one time on my actual finger." Al began, grabbing Alicia's hand and placing the chain and ring into it, "It's my class ring." She added softly as Alicia slowly slipped it off of the chain and onto her ring finger. 

"It fits perfectly." Alicia gasped, eyes pinned on Al's as tears filled them.

"Good." Al breathed, "Please tell me those are tears of joy and a yes, and you're not crying because it was such a shitty proposal." Al chuckled nervously, gently wiping Alicia's tears away, one by one, before they could even fall. She pulled Alicia into her lap, faces inches apart as Alicia replied.

"Yes. Of course it's a yes." She whispered, eyes still sparkling with unshed tears, "I love you. I want to be with you forever. Even if it seems impossible. I want this. I want YOU. Always."

"Aw. Damn, now I'm crying." Al said, indeed wiping away tears of her own, "I love you too." Alicia threw her arms around Al's neck,holding her tight for a full minute before pulling away, a wry grin on her lips.

"You KNOW….."She began, "Way back in the day, they made a big deal out of the consummation of a marriage being the one thing that made it legitimate…." She trailed off for a second, allowing her words to sink in, Al's eyes lighting up in a way they'd never done before, "And since not everyone can be as lucky as John and June, and have a peaceful moment for a small wedding ceremony……"

"You had me at 'consummation' babe." Al all but groaned, shifting a bit in her seat. Alicia laughed, kissing her softly before standing.

"Then help me make the bed." She commanded with a sly grin and a wink, tossing a few blankets at her. Al just stared at her for a second, thought about it, and quickly got to work.

"Well," Alicia said, "Now I know how to get you motivated." 

Al's only response was the pillow she chucked at Alicia's head.


End file.
